KARLSSON DOESN'T PLAY WINNING HOCKEY

Here's an excerpt from my recent TribLive.com column:

Erik Karlsson has never won a significant championship. That’s no coincidence. He doesn’t play winning hockey. His two mistakes that led to two goals allowed in the final minute of the second period in Sunday’s loss to Toronto exemplify his lax approach. He just kept making the wrong play. Karlsson has zero commitment to structure. He plays as he pleases. It’s gotten him points (although lately not as many as previous) and three Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman. But he won’t help you win.

Karlsson’s implosion vs. Toronto serves as a reminder that he’s tough to trade, especially given a contract that runs for two more seasons and packs a $10 million cap hit. He’s also got a full no-movement clause. There are rumors of interest from Dallas and Florida, but it would be a difficult deal to make.

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The NHL trade deadline is Friday. Karlsson's implosion vs. Toronto wasn't exactly an advertisement for how much he could help another team in the unforgiving light of the playoffs. There's also no guarantee Karlsson would agree to go elsewhere.

When the Penguins acquired Karlsson before last season, I loved the deal. But seeing him play up close and frequently quickly remedied that.

And his production dipped dramatically: 101 points with San Jose in 2022-23, 101 points in 145 games with Pittsburgh since.

It was a worthwhile risk designed to get the core three of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang back to the playoffs. But it's failed miserably.